Masakiryū manrikigusari jutsu was founded in the mid-18th century by Masaki Tarodayū Toshimitsu. There are two accounts of the school's origins. The first one, recorded in the early modern history of famous swordsmen, Gekken sōdan, holds that as the Ōgaki clan was commanded to guard the Otemon gate of Edo caste, Toshimitsu devised the chain techniques of Masakiryū in order to deal with unruly behavior without having to spill blood by using his sword. The second theory, recorded in the martial arts treatise Geijutsu bukōron, relates that the deity Akiba gongen revealed the theory and methods of Masakiryū to Toshimitsu as a system of self-defense in response to the founder's fulfillment of a vow to carry out a period of intense prayer.
Masakiryū focuses on the use of the so-called "ten thousand fold strength chain" or manrikikusari, a short chain of about 70 cm in length with a weight attached to each end. The about three hundred techniques are divided into two categories. In "omote iai" techniques the chain is swung and used for striking. These are practiced in single person forms. In "ura iai" techniques, the chain is used to bind the enemy and set up throws and submissions. These techniques are practiced as paired forms.
MasakiToshimitsu the founder
MasakiToshimitsu the founder
manrikigusari Click to enlarge
Masakiryū manrikigusari